


City Festival

by Chaos Fox (ChaosFox)



Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M, Young Souji, Young Yosuke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-05 23:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6726928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaosFox/pseuds/Chaos%20Fox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small city festival, happening years before the murders that occurred in Inaba. Two young boys meeting for the first time in the crowded festival.</p>
            </blockquote>





	City Festival

“Mom? Mom!” A six year old boy with messy fawn colored hair called out.

The busy fair being packed with people smiling and laughing over the stalls of games ringing through his ears. He looked through the crowds in hopes he would find either his father or mother. He was starting to get scared and he felt someone bump into him. He toppled onto the ground and felt tears springing to his eyes. He got up and tried to rush out of the crowd and was finally able to break through to an empty area with a bench.

He ran over and sat down before he started to cry. He was afraid. He wanted to find his mom and go home. The place was loud and scary and everyone looked so scary or didn’t care about the poor lost little boy.

“Hey you ok?” A voice called. The boy looked up from his hands to see another boy about his age with unusual silver hair.

“Huh?” The lost boy asked.

“I asked if you were alright.”

“Oh um… Not really.”

“What’s wrong?” The silver haired boy sat down by the lost one and looked at him with worried silver eyes.

“I can’t find my mom.”

“Oh.” The silver haired boy stayed silent for a moment. “I can’t find my mom either.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” The handed out his hand. “Want to look for the both of them together?”

“Uh sure.” The fawn colored boy grabbed his hand.

“Good. Then that makes us partners.” He gave a cheeky grin.

“Partners?”

“Well we are working together.”

“But I don’t even know your name.”

“Oh. Sorry. I’m Souji Seta.” Souji gave a small smile. “And yours?”

“I’m Yosuke Hanamura.” Yosuke gave a grin back before standing up. “So I guess we should go look for our moms’ partner.”

“Right.”

Souji took the lead as he held tightly onto Yosuke’s hand. They re-entered the crowd and moved fluidly through looking up at each person, asking every now and then if this woman was the others mother.

“I wonder where they are.” Souji pondered after a good thirty minutes of looking.

“It’s no use! We’ll never find our moms.” Yosuke sobbed as he began to cry again.

“Hey. Don’t cry.” Souji stepped over and hugged Yosuke. “We’ll find them. I’m sure we will.”

Yosuke sniffled, “You promise?”

“Yeah. I even pinky swear.”

“Ok.” Yosuke wiped his tears pinky promised with Souji.

“Hey. How about we play some games? We may find them playing some there.”

“Ok. Umm….” Yosuke looked at all the stalls. “Oh! That one! That one!”

Yosuke grabbed Souji’s hand and started dragging him towards a stall hosting ring toss. The small boys looked over stall and up at the man that smiled at them gently.

“Hey! Step right up! Step right up. Play some ring toss and win some prizes! You want to play?”

Yosuke nodded his head excitedly while Souji gave a polite smile to confirm that he wanted to play as well.

“Ok that will be a dollar.”

“Oh.” Souji slightly frowned.

“What’s wrong partner?” Yosuke asked as he pulled a dollar out of his pocket.

“I don’t have a dollar.”

“No problem! I’ll pay.” Yosuke pulled out another dollar and handed the man the money.

“Huh? Are you sure Yosuke?”

“Yeah!”

The man handed each boy three rings and helped them stand at the top of the counter so they could actually throw to the bottles.

“Ok! Try to throw the rings at bottles and land in the middle of them.” The man smiled. “Ready? Go!”

Souji tossed the rings with precise precision. Two out of the three rings he tossed managed to actually land around the bottle. Yosuke, on the other hand, was not as lucky. Only one of his rings managed to land on them and the other two had launched right back at him, which he was barely managed to dodge and not fall down.

“Congratulations!” The man clapped as Souji was trying to calm down a hyperventilating Yosuke who was mumbling something about evil rings. “Here are your prizes.”

The man handed Souji a goldfish while he gave Yosuke a stuffed orange frog. The boys thanked the man before they were taken off the counter and they walked back down the fair.

“Those rings.” Yosuke shuddered.

“It’s ok, they can’t get you here.” Souji smiled before looking at his goldfish. “Plus I think we got some pretty neat stuff.”

Yosuke looked at his frog is disdain, “I got a frog.”

“Frogs are interesting.”

“No they aren’t.”

“Yes they are.”

“Nope.”

“Yeah.”

“Your orange fish is much more interesting than a frog.” 

“But you have an orange frog.”

“So?”

“Have you ever seen an orange frog?”

Yosuke opened his mouth but quickly shut it. Mumbling something about how evil his new friend was.

“Hey look!” Souji called out in glee.

Yosuke followed Souji’s finger to a cat that was curled up on the lone park bench the two boys met at. Souji did a happy cry before rushing over to the cat.

“Souji! Wait!” Yosuke called after the silver haired boy as he rushed after him.

Souji had already began to pet the cat. His goldfish set down beside him. Yosuke sweat dropped as he sat down beside Souji who was happily humming.

“Do you like cats that much?”

“Yeah they are super great.” Souji beamed as he continued to pet the cat.

“Well if you say so.” Yosuke continued to watch.

The cat purred before opening its eyes and spotting the goldfish. It leapt forward with grace and ripped the bag open, Souji and Yosuke watch in horror as the cat ate the goldfish whole before walking away.

“What did that cat just do?” Yosuke asked, unable to believe what he just saw. He heard a sniffle and he turned to Souji who was sniffling. “Hey it’s all right Souji.”

“T-the cat ate…” Souji sniffed again, rubbing his eyes.

“Maybe it was just hungry?”

“Hungry?” Souji turned to Yosuke with curious silver eyes.

“Yeah. I mean cats eat fish right? So maybe it ate the goldfish because it had no other fish to eat.”

Souji stayed silent for a moment, just staring where the water puddle and ripped plastic bag lay. After a moment he turned to Yosuke and nodded to him with fierce determination in his silver eyes.

“Then I’ll make sure no cat goes hungry ever again!” Souji gave a happy smile.

“You got happy fast.” Yosuke mumbled.

Souji frowned, “Not really. I still lost my goldfish.”

“Then have this.” Yosuke pushed the orange frog into Souji’s hand.

“I can’t take this!” Souji pouted pushing it back to Yosuke. “You won that.”

“And you lost a goldfish.”

“I should have looked after it better.”

Yosuke sighed in frustration. Souji was surprisingly stubborn for someone his age. He pulled out another dollar and handed it to Souji who gave him a quizzical look.

“Then let’s get you something else.” Yosuke mumbled, grabbing Souji’s hand and this time taking the lead into the crowd.

“You don’t have to do that partner.” Souji mumbled.

“Does it look like I care?”

“Souji!” A woman’s voice called. The two small boys looked up to see a woman with silver put into braids on two side approach the two. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you since you wandered off. Who’s this?”

Her gaze fell on Yosuke who gave a shy smile up at the older woman.

“I’m Yosuke!” He greeted.

“Yosuke. What a nice name. Where’s your mother?” Mrs. Seta looked at the two boys holding hands and nearly awed when Souji grip on the hand tightened when she tried to pick up her son. She had never seen her son so close or talkative to anyone else before.

“I-I don’t know.” Yosuke looked down feeling tears from before coming to his eyes.

“We’ll find her partner. Don’t worry.” Souji whispered softly to the fawn haired boy who gave a grateful smile when he looked up at him.

“Partner?” Mrs. Seta giggled to herself. “Well ok Yosuke. I’ll help you find your mother. How’s that?”

“That would be nice.” Yosuke answered 

Mrs. Seta smiled as she grabbed Souji’s free hand and began leading the boy’s through the crowd.

“Yosuke! Yosuke!” A woman was shouting. Mrs. Seta smiled as she rushed herself and the boys over to the frantically searching woman.

“Excuse me! Is this your son?” Mrs. Seta asked when she stopped by the woman, gesturing to Yosuke.

“Oh Yosuke!” Mrs. Hanamura cried as she kneeled down and hugged her son. “I was so worried.”

“I was scared Mom.” Yosuke responded as he took one of his arms, making sure he wouldn’t drop the frog in his arms, and hugged his mom.

“Anyways, it’s time we should go. Thank so much for looking after my son.” Mrs. Hanamura stood up and bowed to the silver haired mother.

“No. I think we should thank our sons for looking after each other.” Mrs. Seta smiled before turning to Yosuke. “Thanks for looking after my son.”

“N-no problem.” Yosuke mumbled.

“And I suppose I should be thanking you for looking after my son.” Mrs. Hanamura smiled over at Souji.

Souji nodded curtly sending a smile to Yosuke who smiled back. A silent goodbye passing between them. The two boys let go of each other’s hands and grabbed onto their mothers. Souji turned around and had a small frown on his face as he got farther away from the fawn colored boy. Suddenly he felt his shoulder tapped and turned around and felt a frog shoved in his face. He opened his eyes to see a silver frog in his arms.

“There. Now we both have frogs.” Yosuke smiled from behind the frog before letting it fall in Souji’s hands. “Let’s see each other again next year too okay?”

Souji smiled, “Of course!”

With that Yosuke smiled, turned around and ran back to his mother who was carrying Yosuke’s orange frog. Souji smiled as he hugged the frog tightly and took his mother’s hand again before walking back home with her, not knowing that this would be the last time he would be in a Tokyo festival.

“Partner?” An older Souji asked to a fawn haired teenaged boy. He tilted his head in curiosity as the teen next to him rubbed his head in embarrassment.

“Did that come out weird?” The teen blushed. “Sorry it just sort of popped into my head last night and I guess it kind of stuck for me.”

Souji smiled, a nostalgic feeling of something he couldn’t quite remember washing over him. He didn’t know why but even after just barely meeting the teen in front of him, he couldn’t help but feel more talkative already.

“No. I think it fits. We are trying to find a murderer after all.” Souji reassured.

“Okay. That’s good, I thought it came out a little awkward.” The teen laughed awkwardly before sticking his hand out. “Well I’ll be relying on you partner.”

“I’ll be relying on you to Yosuke-san.” Souji stuck out his hand and shook it with Yosuke.

“Sheesh. No need to be so formal.” Yosuke rolled his eyes. “Even Yosuke-kun would be better.”

“Fine Yosuke.” Souji chuckled. After a few more seconds he let go of Yosuke’s hand and the two began walking again. “And on the subject of being non-formal.”

“What is it?”

“Your Persona being like a frog…” Souji did a slight smirk. “I think it really suits you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Yosuke asked, a slight blush covering his face.

“I don’t know. Just felt like it fit.” Souji smiled.

“Yeah sure.” Yosuke rolled his eyes. “It probably only has to be because it’s my favorite animal.”

“Favorite animal?” Souji asked.

“Yeah, I like frogs.”

“I pegged you for someone who would like something else.”

“Ok wise guy, what’s your favorite animal?”

“A cat.”

“A cat?” Yosuke stared over at Souji with an expression the silver haired boy couldn’t read. Yosuke shrugged though. “Ok, that seems so you.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Souji laughed.

“You seem like the kind of person who would sit around and pet cats all day.” Yosuke elaborated.

“So?” Souji tilted his head curiously at Yosuke. “I love cats.”

“Dude. You seriously would?” Yosuke deadpanned. Souji was about to say something else but the sound of a bell ringing in the distance caught both the boys’ attention. “Oh crap! We’re going to be late! Hurry up Souji!”

Souji chuckled as the two picked up the pace. Even though Yosuke had a bike at his side and could probably make it to class on time if he rode it, he still stayed behind and was keeping pace with Souji. Souji chuckled again, realizing the person he had fished out of the trash can a few days ago was now his partner in solving a murder case.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> And that's why Souji had fed that cat all of the fish he caught.


End file.
